Hand truck for outboard motors



May 14, 1963 A. HUNZIKER 3,039,602

HAND TRUCK FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Filed April 22, 1960 3 Sheets- Sheet l INVENTOR.

LOUIS A. HUNZlKER ATTORNEY May 14, 1963 1.. A. HUNZIKER HAND TRUCK FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 22, 1960 May 14, 1963 V L. A. HUNZIKER 3,089,602

HAND TRUCK FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Filed April 22, 1960 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR.

LOUIS A. HUNZIKER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,089,602 HAND TRUCK FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS Louis A. Hunziker, 783 Commerce Ave,

Longview, Wash. Filed Apr. 22, 1360, Ser. No. 24,021 6 Claims. (Cl. 214-653) This invention relates to improvements in hand trucks for outboard motors on small boats.

Outboard motors have become so large and heavy that they can no longer be lifted and carried by hand. It has become necessary to employ some mechanical device for moving them about and for mounting the motor on the transom of a boat and removing it therefrom. The problem of thus lifting and moving the outboard motor is complicated by the fact that when the motor is mounted on the boat the normal support for the motor is engaged with the boat transom and is not accessible to a lifting or transporting mechanism without first removing the motor and turning it around. A need exists for a universal handling device which can grasp any size or style of motor from the rear and place it in position on the transom of a boat without requiring some auxiliary device or mechanism to lift and turn the motor in order to transfer it to and from the boat.

The general object of the present invention is, therefore, to provide an improved hand truck which will grasp an outboard motor from its rear side and then lower it directly onto the transom of a boat without the assistance of any auxiliary mechanism.

Another object is to provide a hand truck of the type described having an improved lift mechanism for raising and lowering the motor.

Another object is to provide improved support means for the motor which is automatically self-adjusting to all different sizes and styles of outboard motors.

Another object is to provide support means actuated by the weight of the motor to clamp the motor securely so that it will not shift position while maneuvering the truck.

Another object is to provide a hand truck of the type described which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, convenient to use, and rugged and reliable in operation.

The present truck comprises an upright guide frame carrying a vertically movable lift carriage operated by a fluid pressure jack which may be pumped by hand. The motor is grasped from the rear and supported on a fork having a pair of forwardly extending parallel arms which swing together and clamp against opposite sides of the slender tower housing of the motor just under the considerably broader motor frame and housing. The arms have a pivotal mounting so arranged that the weight of the motor is utilized to apply the clamping pressure. Thus, the motor or any other T-shaped object is firmly held and cannot slip through the supporting arms while, at the same time, the clamping pressure is released as soon as the weight of the motor is transferred to another support. The lift frame is also equipped with a kick board to stabilize the motor in its normal vertical position so that the motor will not tend to shift its position on the supporting arms.

The invention will be better understood and addition-a1 objects and advantages will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment illustrated on the accompanying drawings. Various changes may be made, however, in the construction and arrangement of par-ts andcertain features may be used without others, all such modifications within the scope of the appended claims being included in the invention.

-In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view showing the present ice hand truck approaching pick-up position to remove an outboard motor from a boat;

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevation view of the hand truck;

FIGURE 3 is a side elevation view of the hand truck showing a motor supported thereby;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the automatic adjusting and clamping mechanism for the load supporting arms;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side view as in FIGURE 3, showing mechanism for adjusting the position of the kick board;

FIGURE 6 is a similar view of the opposite side of the truck; and

FIGURE 7 is a view taken on the line 77 of FIG- URE 5..

In FIGURE 1 the boat 10 is mounted on a trailer 11. Mounted on the transom 12 of the boat by means of a suitable supporting bracket such as the C-clamp 9 is an outboard motor 13. The motor 13 has a relatively large and broad motor housing 14 beneath which extends downwardly a slender vertical drive shaft housing or tower housing 15. The upper end of the tower housing has an enlargement which is flared or flanged outwardly at 16 to connect with the motor frame or housing. At the lower end of the tower housing a cavitation plate 17 extends rearwardly above the propeller 18. The foregoing general features are common to substantially all known types of outboard motors, although such motors are of widely varying size and style. The structural details of the motors are also different whereby lifting and handling devices heretofore proposed, other than rope slings, have been limited to use with certain sizes and styles of motors and could not be use conveniently with all motors without special adapters or other auxiliary parts.

The frame of the truck comprises a pair of parallel upright channel members 20 secured at their lower ends to a horizontal transverse base member 21 which is equipped with an axle for a pair of wheels 22 having pneumatic tires. The truck is stabilized in upright position by a pair of forwardly extending base members 23 equipped at their forward ends with caster wheels 24. These base members are braced by a pair of inclined struts 25 which converge upwardly from the outer ends of the base members to an elevated point of attachment with the two channel frame members 20. The truck is manipulated on the floor by a pair of rearwardly extending handles 26 also mounted on the upright channels 20.

The open sides of channels 20 face each other to pro vide a vertical guide track for the rollers 29 of a lift carriage 30. Lift carriage 30 is of inverted U shape having a top horizontal cross member 31 connected at its ends with a pair of depending vertical side members 32 which carry the rollers 29.

The upper end of a vertical piston rod 35 is connected to the center of cross member 31 between the two side members 32. The lower end of piston rod 35 is equipped with a piston in an hydraulic lift cylinder 34 within a casing 36 which is mounted at its lower end on the horizontal base member 21 between the channels 20. The lower end of the lift cylinder is connected with a pump cylinder 37 containing a small piston on the lower end of a piston rod 38. The upper end of piston rod 38 is pivotally connected at 39 with a pump handle 46 which is pivotally mounted at 41 on a bracket 42 on the casing 36. The hydraulic system includes suitable connections and check valves so that when the handle 40 is pumped up and down, hydraulic fluid is pumped into the lower end of the lift cylinder to raise the piston rod 35 and lift carriage 30.

he lift carriage is lowered by opening a valve 45 to relieve fluid pressure from the lower end of the lift cylinder into a reservoir space in casing 36 around the lift cylinder. Valve 45 is turned by a long valve stem 4-6 having a handle 47 on its upper end adjacent the pump handle 46. When valve 45 is closed, hydraulic fluid cannot escape from the lower end of the lift cylinder and the lift carriage St is held at the elevation to which it has been raised by the pump 37. The upper end of valve stem 4-6 rotates in a supporting bracket 48 on casing 36.

Lift carriage 30 further includes a horizontal bar 50 mounted on the side members 32 and extending across the front of the two upright frame channels 20. Projecting forward in horizontal parallel relation from the outer ends of bar 50 are a pair of cylindrical journal supports 51, as shown in FIGURE 4. The forward ends of supports 51 are braced by inclined struts 4 from the lower ends of side members 32. On each supporting journal 51 is rotatably mounted a cylindrical sleeve bearing 52 having a radial arm 53 carrying a forwardly extending support arm 55. The arms 55 are covered with rubber cushions or pads 56.

The sleeve bearings 52 are also equipped with crank arms 57 which are pivotally interconnected by a link 58. Thus, the supporting arms 55 may be rotated together and apart by a handle lever 60 on one of the sleeves 52. Movement of the arms 55 away from each other is limited by a stop pin 61 on the bar 50 which engages one of the arms 57, and movement of the supporting arms 55 toward each other is limited by a similar stop pin 62 which is engaged by the other arm 57.

The arms 53 and 55 are rotatable about their respective journal supports 51 through angles which are slightly less than ninety degrees in extent. The supporting arms 55 are moved apart to receive the motor by pressing downward on handle 6ft which rotates the arms 55 upwardly and outwardly from the intermediate position shown in FIGURE 4 until stop 61 is engaged by the left arm 57. In such position of the parts the radial arms 53 extend upwardly and are inclined slightly toward each other at small angles from the vertical. The truck may then be moved forward in FIGURE 1 to pass the arms 55 on opposite sides of the motor tower housing 15 just beneath its flared or flanged upper end portion 16.

The maximum spacing of supporting arms 55 in their widest apart position exceeds the width of the tower housing 15 on the largest motors. When lift carriage 30 is raised by pumping the pump handle 40, the support arms 55 are brought to bear against the under surface of the motor frame or the flanged or flared upper end of tower housing 15. It will be apparent that any downward pressure on arms 55 tends to swing them toward each other, as shown in FIGURE 4, to grip the sides of the tower housing very firmly. Continued pumping on the pump handle 40 will then raise the motor clear of the transom 12 with the motor supported entirely on the parallel arms 55 and stabilized by kick board 65 in the same position it assumed on the boat.

The motor may be moved to another boat, a test stand, or storage rack, and transferred thereto by opening the valve 45 to lower the lift carriage. As soon as the weight of the motor has been transferred from arms 55, these arms will no longer clamp the tower housing and the truck may be backed away.

Stop 62 limits the closing movement of support arms 55 to a position in which the radial arms 53 are directed toward each other in positions inclined slightly upwardly from the horizontal. This makes it impossible for the support arms 55 to move to release position by rotating too far downwardly.

Thus, the arms 55 adjust and clamp themselves automatically on motors of different size and the kick board 65 holds the motor in the same position it assumes on the boat. The greater the weight of the motor, the more firmly and rigidly it is held in such position. The arms 55 thereby constitute a lift fork which is adaptable to substantially all outboard motors without any auxiliary parts or fittings.

FIGURES 5 to 7 show mechanism for adjusting kick board 65 to the motor. The kick board is suspended by a pair of rear brackets 66 and 67 which are pivotally mounted on the lower ends of a pair of parallel bars 63 and 69. The upper ends of these bars are pivotally mounted on brackets 70 and 71. Brackets 70 and 71 are attached to a vertical hanger plate 72 on the hori zontal bar '50 of the lift carriage 30, as shown in FIG- URE 4. Thus, the kick board 65 is suspended by a parallelogram linkage to maintain its vertical position as it is adjusted toward the motor.

Such adjustment is effected by the crank end 74 on a shaft 75, as shown in FIGURE 7. Crank end 74 is movable in a slot defined by the rear edge of bar 63 and a book 76 so that rotation of shaft 75 will push the kick board forward or retract it in a rearward direction. Shaft 75 is mounted for rotation in a pair of hanger bars 77 and 78 on the horizontal lift carriage bar 59. Shaft 75 is rotated by a handle 80 extending from a circular plate 81 secured on the end of the shaft. Parts of this mechanism are omitted in FIGURES l and 4 for clarity.

When the truck is moved to pick-up position as shown in FIGURE 3, handle 80 is rotated downwardly to move kick board 65 into engagement with cavitation plate 17 on the motor. The kick board is then locked in this position by tightening a thumbscrew 82 in plate 81 against a plate portion 83 of the hanger arm 73. Thus, the fore and aft position of the lower end of the motor will not be altered while it is being moved by the truck. Kick board 65 is elongated sufficiently in a vertical direction to engage the cavitation plate on any size of motor.

The various controls on the truck are all arranged for convenient manipulation by the operator without leaving his position behind the truck. As the operator approaches the motor from the rear as shown in FIGURES l and 3, he is wheeling the truck into pick-up position by the wheelbarrow handles 26. While holding the truck in position with his right hand on one handle 26, the operator can reach forward with this left hand and raise handle 60 to swing the fork arms into gripping position on the motor. Then, transferring his left hand to handle 80, a convenient downward movement on this handle swings the kick board forward into engagement with the cavitation plate of the motor. Moving his hand forward along handle 80, the operator then tightens clamp screw 82 to hold the kick board in adjusted position. Finally, while still standing between the handles 26, the operator may stroke the pump handle 40 to raise the motor off its transom board support and transfer the weight of the motor to the lift fork. Thus, the whole operation is performed by the simple manipulation of a series of conveniently arranged control handles, and the operator is ready to wheel the motor away without having left his original position at the truck handles 26.

Having now described my invention and in what manner the same may be used, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a hand truck for an outboard motor and the like, a lift carriage, a pair of laterally spaced forwardly projecting journal supports on said carriage, sleeve bearings mounted for rotation on said journal supports, radial arms on said sleeve bearings, load arms on said radial arms projecting forwardly parallel with said journal supports, a link connected to crank arms on said sleeve bearings for moving said load arms together and apart in unison, a stop limiting the opening movement of said load arms when said radial arms are turned upward in slightly converging relation, and a stop limiting the closing movement of said load arms when said radial arms are turned toward each other to positions approaching alignment with each other.

2. A hand truck for an outboard motor and the like comprising a pair of upright channel frame mem bers, an inverted U-shaped lift carriage having a horizontal cross member and depending side members, rollers on said side members running in said chainnels, a lift cylinder between said channels having a piston rod supporting said cross member, a cross bar on said carriage overlying the front of said channels, forwardly projecting journal supports on the ends of said cross bar, inclined struts supporting the forward ends of said journal supports from said depending side members, sleeve bearings mounted for rotation on said journal sup ports, radial arms on said sleeve bearings, load arms on said radial arms projecting forwardly parallel with said journal supports, a link connected to crank arms on said sleeve bearings for moving said load arms together and apart in unison, a stop on said cross bar limiting the opening movement of said load arms when said radial arms are turned upward in slightly converging relation, and a stop on said cross bar limiting the closing movement of said load arms when said radial arms are turned toward each other to positions approaching alignment with each other.

3. The structure defined in claim 1 including further a handle lever on one of said sleeve bearings for opening and closing said load arms, and resilient pads on said load arms.

4. The structure defined in claim 1 including further a vertically extending kick board on said carriage engageable with the lower portions of motors of different height, and means on said carriage to move said kick board forward into engagement with a motor on said load arms.

5. The structure defined in claim 4, said means including a parallelogram linkage suspending said kick board from said carriage.

6. The structure defined in claim 5 including crank means arranged to cam said linkage forward and backward.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,493,824 Noros Jan. 10, 1950 2,514,825 Zenko July 111, 1950 2,676,723 Schroeder Apr. 27, 1954 2,848,128 Thompson Aug. 19, 1958 2,903,147 Davis Sept. 8, 1959 2,996,205 Ulinski Aug. 15, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 956,980 Germany Ian. 24, 1957 

1. IN A HAND TRUCK FOR AN OUTBOARD MOTOR AND THE LIKE, A LIFT CARRIAGE, A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED FORWARDLY PROJECTING JOURNAL SUPPORTS ON SAID CARRIAGE, SLEEVE BEARINGS MOUNTED FOR ROTATION ON SAID JOURNAL SUPPORTS, RADIAL ARMS ON SAID SLEEVE BEARINGS, LOAD ARMS ON SAID RADIAL ARMS PROJECTING FORWARDLY PARALLEL WITH SAID JOURNAL SUPPORTS, LINK CONNECTED TO CRANK ARMS ON SAID SLEEVE BEARINGS FOR MOVING SAID LOAD ARMS TOGETHER AND APART IN UNISON, A STOP LIMITING THE OPENING MOVEMENT OF SAID LOAD ARMS WHEN SAID RADIAL ARMS ARE TURNED UPWARD IN SLIGHTLY CONVERGING RELATION, AND A STOP LIMITING THE CLOSING MOVEMENT OF SAID LOAD ARMS WHEN SAID RADIAL ARMS ARE TURNED TOWARD EACH OTHER TO POSITIONS APPROACHING ALIGNMENT WITH EACH OTHER. 